Govt declares climate, agricultural emergencies after the destruction of flooding

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced the enforcement of climate and agriculture’s emergencies over Pakistan in response to heavy monsoon rain and widespread floods that have destroyed the country, the decision was approved during a federal cabinet meeting in Islamabad on Wednesday.

Shehbaz warned that recent monsoon rains and floods had caused broad destruction, killed over 900 people, displaced thousands and submerging large agricultural land.

He turned to the cabinet and said there were assessments to determine losses for key crops such as wheat and cotton. “The father is not yet over as the flood flood moves towards Sindh province,” he said in comments broadcast on national television.

The Prime Minister emphasized that federal and provincial governments would share the responsibility for compensating victims. “Given the climate change effects, we should come up with a program as we are confronted with enormous challenges that cannot be overcome overnight,” he said.

When he turned to foreign policy, Shehbaz paid tribute to his recent visit to China, saying Pakistan had secured $ 8.5 billion of agreements at an investment conference for business-to-business.

He described the event as “very effective and good” and added that China would cover 85% of investments in new projects during the second phase of the China-Pakistani economic corridor (CPEC).

He said agriculture would be a central focus of CPEC-II, while US companies had also shown interest in investing in Pakistan’s mining and minerals using modern technology. “We are eager to improve the tape to the United States, besides strengthening the strategic partnership with China,” Shehbaz said.

The prime minister warned his cabinet against delays and complacency to follow up on appointments. “I will not allow the status quo, any kind of complacency or excessive delays that have marked the country’s history in the last seven and a half decades,” he said.

Shehbaz also paid tribute to larger Adnan Aslam, who was killed in an operation against terrorists in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. He condemned campaigns on social media against the armed forces such as “Fitna” to be “crushed.” “Such a contradictory attitude towards the armed forces is unbearable,” he said.

The cabinet offered prayers to relatives to government officials who had recently died. Officials said the enforcement of climate and agriculture’s emergencies aims to tackle the country’s growing climate challenges and support farmers whose livelihood has been severely affected.

Read more: USA approves flooding aid to Pakistan

“This is a collective challenge. Collaboration from all provincial stakeholders, including Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, will be important,” the Minister of Parliament, Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry to journalists.

He said the federal government would play its role, while provinces and regions contribute their share. Chaudhry added that a meeting with provincial stakeholders would immediately be called in to coordinate relief and recovery efforts.

By approaching foreign policy, Chaudhry Shehbaz Sharif’s recent visit to China described as a success and said it opened “a new era with collaboration” between Islamabad and Beijing. He noted that the Prime Minister also had “friendly and constructive” engagements with world leaders.